SOCIAL JUSTICE - FRANCISCAN ACTION & ADVOCACY

Action & Advocacy Organizations

Please visit the following action and advocacy organizations below. If you have any questions, or would like to suggest other appropriate organizations, please contact us using the form at the bottom of the page.

International Justice Mission

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to ensure that public justice systems – police, courts and laws – effectively protect the poor. To learn more, please visit the International Justice Mission web site.

Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. They alleviate suffering and provide assistance to people in need in nearly 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. To learn more, please visit the Catholic Relief services web site.

Ignatian Volunteer Corps

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) provides mature men and women (50+ to retired) the opportunity to serve the needs of people who are poor, to work for a more just society, and to grow deeper in Christian faith by reflecting and praying in the Ignatian tradition. To learn more, please visit the Ignatian Volunteer Corps web site and the Welcome to IVC Northern Virginia page.

Catholic Climate Covenant

The Catholic Climate Covenant works with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to share the Church’s authentic teaching on climate change. For more information, please visit the Catholic Climate Covenant web site.

Catholics Confront Global Poverty

Catholics Confront Global Poverty is an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services that calls on Catholics to defend the life and dignity of people living in poverty throughout the world, and to urge our nation to act in response to the many faces of poverty through advocacy and action. To learn more, please visit the Catholics Confront Global Poverty web site.

Virginia Catholic Conference

Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) is the public policy advocacy organization representing the dioceses of Arlington and Richmond on matters before the Virginia General Assembly, the U.S. Congress, and the state and federal administrations and their agencies. VCC advocates for respect life initiatives, social justice initiatives, and family life and education initiatives. VCC advocates through contacts with state and federal lawmakers; resources applying Church teaching to current issues; promotion of grassroots advocacy; and communication with media outlets. To learn more and to sign up for action alerts, please visit the Virginia Catholic Conference web site.

ONE

ONE (cofounded by Bono of U2 and Red Campaign) is a campaigning and advocacy organization of nearly 6 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, they raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programs. ONE is not a grant-making organization and does not solicit funding from the public or receive government funding. ONE is funded almost entirely by foundations, individual philanthropists and corporations. They achieve change through advocacy. Their teams in Washington, D.C., New York, London, Johannesburg, Brussels, Berlin, and Paris educate and lobby governments to shape policy solutions that save and improve millions of lives. To learn more, please visit the One web site. See story related to Bono and the advocacy of the Church.

Catholic Campaign for Human Development

Catholic Campaign for Human Developmentis the domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America through promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and through transformative education. To learn more, please visit the Catholic Campaign for Human Development web site.

Bread for the World

Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, they provide help and opportunity far beyond the communities where we live. To learn more, please visit the Bread for the World web site.

Jubilee USA

Jubilee USA Network is an alliance of more than 75 US organizations, 250 faith communities and 50 Jubilee global partners. Jubilee USA Network has won critical global financial reforms and more than $130 billion in debt relief for the world’s poorest countries. To learn more, please visit the Jubilee USA web site.

Franciscan Mission Service

Franciscan Mission Service builds partnerships with Catholic women and men who are inspired to live and serve in solidarity with economically poor communities across the globe, and to bring the transformative experience of mission to North American societies and churches as advocates for peace, justice, reconciliation and care of creation. To learn more, please visit the Franciscan Mission Service web site.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is Virginia’s oldest faith-based advocacy group. They are a nonpartisan coalition of faith communities working to create progressive public policy by engaging people of faith, educating the public about social issues, the legislative process, and the call to advocacy. To learn more, please visit The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy web site.

Justice for Immigrants

The primary objectives of the Justice for Immigrants campaign are: To educate the public, especially the Catholic community, including Catholic public officials, about Church teaching on migration and immigrants; to create political will for positive immigration reform; to enact legislative and administrative reforms based on the principles articulated by the bishops; and to organize Catholic networks to assist qualified immigrants obtain the benefits of the reforms. To learn more, please visit the Justice for Immigrants web site.

Justice, Peace and Human Development

The Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development (JPHD) creates and distributes resources to increase awareness of Catholic social teaching and of opportunities to concretely live our Baptismal call to love God and neighbor. These efforts include the anti-poverty mission of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, as well as federal advocacy on domestic issues such as food security, housing and employment and international issues such as peace, foreign assistance and religious freedom. To learn more, please visit the Justice, Peace and Human Development web site.

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Catholic Mobilizing Network

Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) proclaims the Church’s unconditional pro-life teaching and its application to capital punishment and restorative justice. CMN works in close collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to prepare Catholics for informed involvement in campaigns to repeal state death penalty laws and expand or inaugurate restorative justice programs. To learn more, please visit the Catholic Mobilizing Network.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. The goal, through worship, theological reflection, and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues. To learn more, please visit the Ecumenical Advocacy Days web site.

Franciscans International

Franciscans International (FI) works at the United Nations (UN) to address human rights injustices that impact on the poor and most vulnerable. FI is a non-governmental organization with UN General Consultative Status and a shared ministry of the global Franciscan Family. FI is inspired by Franciscan values envisioning a global community in which the dignity of every person is respected, resources are shared equitably, the environment is sustained, and nations and peoples live in peace. To learn more, please visit the Franciscans International web site.

Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence

Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence is a diverse coalition of denominations and faith-based organizations united by the call of faith to confront America’s gun violence epidemic and to rally support for policies that reduce death and injury from gunfire. To learn more, please visit the Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence web site.